Get help with cheaper flights and potential flight delays this winter

Around this time of year, snowbirds fly out on tropical getaways, skiers and snowboarders take a weekend to hit the slopes, and potential flight delays are stressful for all travelers. Google Flights can now help you predict those flight delays, and we’re also introducing a new feature to help you feel confident about finding the cheapest fare no matter where you’re going.

New fare types like “Basic Economy” are great for people traveling on a budget, but it can be confusing to understand whether important options— like overhead bin space, ability to select your seat, and baggage fees— are included in the fare. Now Google Flights surfaces that information for flights on American, Delta, and United.

One of the most stressful parts of traveling happens between heading to the airport and waiting to board your flight, as you start checking to see if your flight is on time. Flights already shows delays, and now we’re sharing reasons for those delays and delay predictions too. Using historic flight status data, our machine learning algorithms can predict some delays even when this information isn’t available from airlines yet—and delays are only flagged when we’re at least 80% confident in the prediction. We still recommend getting to the airport with enough time to

spare, but hope this information can manage expectations and prevent surprises. Simply search for your flight (“American 4442”) or the airline and flight route (“Air New Zealand Auckland to Singapore”), and these details will appear right in your search results.

Don’t let uncertainty—whether it’s understanding the fine print of fare options or navigating potential delays—keep you from your next vacation. We’ll help you get to those sunnier skies.